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Definition: Fort Sumter from Philip's Encyclopedia

Fort in South Carolina, scene of the first hostilities of the American Civil War. In 1861 it was held by Federal forces. The Confederate authorities, having failed to negotiate a peaceful evacuation, felt compelled to take it by force. The Confederate General Beauregard opened fire on April 12, and the fort surrendered the following day.

Fort Sumter

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
fortification, built 1829–60, on a shoal at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston, S.C., and named for Gen. Thomas Sumter ; scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. Upon passing the Ordinance of Secession (Dec., 1860), South Carolina demanded all federal property within the state, particularly the forts of Charleston harbor—Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and Castle Pinckney. On Dec. 26, 1860, Major Robert Anderson removed his U.S. army command of about 100 men from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, a stronger defensive site. Gov. F. W. Pickens of South Carolina had the other two forts, along with the Charleston arsenal, seized, and upon the refusal of President James Buchanan to order Anderson's evacuation, had guns trained on Fort Sumter. On Jan. 9, 1861, an unarmed merchant ship sent to reinforce the fort's garrison was driven back by the South Carolina forces. Pickens's subsequent formal demand for the fort's surrender was declined, and South Carolina prepared to reduce…
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From The Great American History Fact-Finder
The site of the first shots of the Civil War . After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina seceded and demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter, a federal fort located in Charleston Harbor. Lincoln refused to let its commander, Maj. Robert Anderson, surrender and notified South…
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
fortification, built 1829–60, on a shoal at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston, S.C., and named for Gen. Thomas Sumter ; scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. Upon passing the Ordinance of Secession (Dec., 1860), South Carolina demanded all federal property within the state, …
| 349 words
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Full text Article Fort Sumter National Monument

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Historic site, on a man-made island at the entrance to the harbour of Charleston , South Carolina, U.S. Construction of the fort began in 1829 and was still in progress in 1861, when it became the site of the first engagement (April 12, 1861) of the American Civil War . The national monument, …
| 162 words
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From Chambers Dictionary of World History
The US federal installation in Charleston (South Carolina) harbour, bombarded in the first military engagement of the American Civil War . Shortly after President Abraham Lincoln 's inauguration, the fort's commanding officer, Captain Robert Anderson, informed the Union government that he had only…
| 127 words
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary
| 51 words
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Full text Article Fort Sumter, South Carolina (photo)

From Bridgeman Images: The Bridgeman Art Library
Fort Sumter, South Carolina (photo)
| 84 words , 1 image
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Loading a 15-inch gun in the turret of an Ericsson Ironclad during the attack on Fort Sumter, 1861 (litho)
Artist: American School, (19th century) Location: Private Collection Credit: Loading a 15-inch gun in the turret of an Ericsson Ironclad during the attack on Fort Sumter, 1861 (litho), American School, (19th century) / Private Collection / Peter Newark Military Pictures / The Bridgeman Art Library…
| 113 words , 1 image
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From Philip's Encyclopedia
| 57 words
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Full text Article Fort Sumter

From Collins English Dictionary
| 28 words
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